Jason Wagner
India Pale Ale, or IPA, is a popular beer that can be paired with a variety of foods. The key to pairing IPA with food is to match intensities and find complementary flavours. IPA has a strong, bitter taste with notes of citrus, caramel, and spice. Therefore, it pairs well with spicy dishes like tacos, burgers, and barbeque sauce. The bitterness of the IPA can help to cool down spicy food. IPA also goes well with salty and fried foods like French fries, deep-fried meats, and sausage. The carbonation and brightness of the beer can help to cut through the fat and creaminess of rich dishes. When it comes to meat, IPA pairs well with grilled meat, especially when there is a caramelized crust that complements the caramel notes in the beer. For fish, IPA goes well with oily fish like salmon or mackerel, especially when served with mango salsa or salsa verde. IPA can also be paired with desserts, such as carrot cake, chocolate truffles, or a lemon tart.
Characteristics of food that goes well with IPA beer
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Flavour | Salty, spicy, sweet, bitter, fatty, oily, strong, light, tropical |
| Texture | Fried, grilled, creamy, fatty, crispy, crunchy |
| Type of Dish | Appetizer, main course, dessert |
| Specific Examples | Tacos, burgers, barbeque sauce, fried chicken, French fries, sausages, Indian food, Thai food, Mexican food, fish, seafood, chicken, beef, pork, duck, vegetables, fruit, cheese, chocolate, cakes, ice cream |
What You'll Learn
Spicy foods like curries, stir-fries, and tacos
Spicy foods are a fantastic pairing with IPAs. The bitterness of the beer can help to cool the palate and provide a refreshing contrast to spicy dishes.
Curries are a great option to pair with IPAs. A fiery Madras curry, for instance, can be tackled by the balanced bitterness and maltiness of an English IPA, which will ultimately carry away the heat. A creamy curry like a chicken korma can be cut through by the amped-up hops of an American-style IPA. Goan curries, which are often less dense and spicy than curries from other regions of India, can also be a good match when lightened with coconut milk and aromatic spices like curry leaves and cumin.
Stir-fries are another spicy option that pairs well with IPAs. A stir-fry with Thai street basil sauce and chicken, for example, can bring out the citrus and herbal notes of an IPA. Similarly, fajitas have the right level of spice to harmonise well with IPAs.
Tacos are also a fantastic choice to pair with IPAs. The bitterness and carbonation of the beer can cut through the fattiness of tacos, providing a refreshing contrast. For instance, a Citra session IPA with delicate white fish tacos and a squeeze of lemon can be a great combination. Salmon tacos and crab tostadas can also be good options, as the coriander in these dishes is abundant in Mexican cuisine and can complement the coriander notes often found in IPAs.
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Salty and fried foods like French fries, fried chicken, and cheese curds
Salty and fried foods are a perfect match for the bitter, hoppy, and carbonated profile of an IPA. The bold flavours and carbonation of the beer serve as a palate cleanser, cutting through the fat and saltiness of these foods and refreshing the palate between bites.
French fries, for instance, are a great pairing with IPA. The carbonation and bitterness of the beer can counterbalance the salty and fried taste of the fries. The same goes for other deep-fried foods like onion rings and chicken wings.
Fried chicken is another delicious option. The carbonation of the IPA will cut through the rich, greasy flavours of the fried chicken, and the bitterness of the beer will help to balance out the salty flavours.
Cheese curds, particularly Wisconsin cheese curds, are also a delightful pairing with an IPA. The carbonation and bitterness of the beer will cut through the creamy, salty, and fatty flavours of the cheese curds, creating a harmonious combination.
When it comes to IPA and food pairings, it's important to remember that the beer's intensity should match the intensity of the dish. Super-bitter IPAs, for example, work well with fried or salty foods as the salt and fat tone down the bitterness and highlight the malt flavours. On the other hand, session IPAs, which have lower ABV, can benefit from a touch of acid in the food to enhance their flavours and create a brighter profile.
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Grilled meat like burgers and steaks
When it comes to grilled meat, IPA beer is a fantastic choice to accompany your meal. The intense flavours of grilled meat, especially burgers and steaks, stand up well to the bold and bitter notes of an IPA. The key to this pairing is the caramelisation of the meat, which brings out the caramel malt in the beer. The bitterness of the IPA also helps to balance the fattiness of the meat, ensuring that the rich flavours don't become overwhelming.
Burgers
Burgers are a classic choice for pairing with IPA. The charred, smoky flavours of a grilled burger are complemented by the hoppy, bitter notes of the beer. When choosing toppings for your burger, it's important to avoid strong flavours that might clash with the IPA. Instead, opt for classic toppings like lettuce, tomato, and cheese, or a tangy special sauce. If you're feeling adventurous, a mango salsa or salsa verde can also work well with the IPA, adding a touch of sweetness to the savoury burger.
Steaks
IPA is a versatile choice for pairing with steaks, especially cuts like ribeye that have a reputation for being fatty. The bitterness of the IPA helps to cut through the richness of the steak, enhancing its flavour without overwhelming your palate. When choosing a steak to pair with IPA, consider the tenderness of the cut. For more tender cuts like filet mignon, a lighter IPA or pale ale might be a better choice, while more robust cuts like ribeye or sirloin can stand up to the bold flavours of a double or triple IPA.
Cooking and Serving Tips
To get the most out of this pairing, there are a few things to keep in mind when cooking and serving your grilled meat and IPA. Firstly, temperature contrast is important. Serve your steak hot off the grill, and pair it with an ice-cold IPA. This contrast will enhance the refreshing quality of the beer and provide a satisfying sensory experience. Additionally, consider the intensity of both the meat and the beer. For a fatty, heavily marbled steak, opt for a more bitter IPA to balance the flavours. On the other hand, a more delicate cut of meat, like filet mignon, might be better suited to a milder IPA or pale ale.
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Desserts like carrot cake, chocolate cake, and chocolate truffles
Desserts with strong flavours can complement the bitterness of an IPA. The sweetness of carrot cake, for example, is a classic pairing with the bitterness and citrus or floral notes of an American IPA. The bitterness of the IPA balances the sweetness of the carrot cake, creating a pleasant contrast. The tanginess of the cream cheese frosting also helps to cut through the bitterness of the beer. For this pairing, it is recommended to choose an American IPA over an English IPA, as the former is more bitter and hoppy, which better contrasts the sweetness of the cake.
Chocolate cake is another dessert that can pair well with an IPA. The tropical flavours of banana and coconut in an IPA cake, for instance, are enhanced by the bitter hops in the beer, while the caramel and poppy seeds in the frosting add sweet toasty notes. The bitterness of the IPA can also intensify the spice in a chocolate cake, making it a good pairing for tamarind or ginger-spiced chocolate cake.
Chocolate truffles can also be a good match with an IPA. The bitterness of the beer can complement the sweetness of the chocolate, and the carbonation of the IPA can help to cleanse the palate. A slightly sweeter IPA, such as an English or maltier American version, pairs well with chocolate truffles. The malt in the beer can heighten the caramel side of milk chocolate, while the hops can intensify any spice in the truffles.
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Sausages and fatty foods
When it comes to sausages, the type of meat and the seasonings used are important factors. For example, the classic pairing of spicy and sweet can be achieved with chorizo and lager. The lager offers a sweeter taste to balance out the spice of the chorizo. If you want to lean into the spice, an IPA will ramp up the heat. Spicy Italian sausage also goes well with porter beer, as the smokier the sausage, the better it matches the roasted flavour of the porter.
The carbonation and brightness of IPAs also make them a good match for fatty foods. The carbonation helps to cut through the fat and creaminess of rich dishes, acting as a palate cleanser. This is why IPAs are often recommended to accompany deep-fried foods. The bitterness of the IPA can also have a cooling effect, making it a good match for spicy dishes.
When pairing IPAs with sausages and fatty foods, it's important to consider the side dishes, condiments and seasonings used, as these will all contribute to the overall flavour profile. For example, if you're serving a sausage with a spicy mustard, you might want to avoid a beer with strong and spicy undertones, as this could be overwhelming.
So, when enjoying a hearty meal of sausages and fatty foods, reach for an IPA to cut through the richness, spice and savouriness of the dish.
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Frequently asked questions
IPA's strong, bitter, and hoppy flavours need to be paired with food with similarly strong tastes so as not to overwhelm the dish. Spicy dishes, such as tacos, burgers, or Indian and Thai curries, work well. Salty and fried foods, like French fries or fried chicken, also complement the IPA's bitterness.
Lighter dishes, like fish and seafood, can be paired with an IPA, but the flavours of the dish should be more subtle than the beer. A light Goan curry with coconut milk, aromatic curry leaves, and earthy cumin, for example, would work well.
IPAs can also be paired with desserts. A sweeter, maltier IPA will complement the spice in a carrot cake, for example. A slightly sweeter IPA will also go well with chocolate-based desserts, like chocolate truffles or a chocolate cake.
Yes, some foods will not pair well with an IPA. Dishes with blue cheese, for example, should be avoided, as the cheese will "attack" the IPA's flavour. Double, triple, and quadruple IPAs, which have far too much flavour and ABV, should also be avoided as they tend to dominate and are best enjoyed outside of intentional pairings.
